Former Pro Kabaddi League champion Akash Shinde is ready for a new challenge with Bengaluru Bulls. The 24-year-old raider from Nashik won the PKL title last season with Puneri Paltan and was bought by the Bulls for �3.10 lakh in this year’s auction.

‘I am feeling very good. It's a new and young team. The way RCB won with a young team, we will win the PKL too. There is a lot of excitement. The young boys have a clear mindset that they just have to prove themselves,�Shinde says. He believes their energy and team spirit can help the Bulls win the PKL title.

As Bengaluru Bulls prepare for the new season, fans will be hoping Shinde’s skills and positive attitude can bring them success. With his strong raiding and love for the game, he might help the Bulls add another trophy to their cabinet.

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The World Super Kabaddi League (WSKL) plans to launch its first season in 2026 and bring players from many countries to one stage. Organisers will host the opening matches in Dubai between February and March.

The league will have eight teams, each will include both Indian and international players to create a true global kabaddi event. Countries like South Korea, Iran, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Canada, and the US supported this plan. About 20 national leagues have confirmed they will take part.

SJ Uplift Kabaddi owns and runs the league. They plan to grow Kabaddi outside India and help it become an Olympic sport. The league will offer matches, training, and fan events all year, even during the off-season.

Founder Sambhav Jain says the league will give kabaddi the big stage it needs. With strong support from the International Kabaddi Federation and a Rs 48 crore player purse, the league shows real promise for the sport’s future.

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The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is ready for action again with its Season 12 player auction set for May 31 and June 1 in Mumbai. This comes after the Haryana Steelers took home their first-ever PKL title in December 2024, beating Patna Pirates in a thrilling final. 

Ahead of the auction, the league revealed 83 retained players. These include 25 Elite Retained Players (ERP), 23 Retained Young Players (RYP), and 35 New Young Players (NYP). Big names like Sunil Kumar, Jaideep Dahiya, and Mohit Goyat are among those staying with their teams.

Over 500 players will be up for grabs during the auction. Fans can expect to see top stars like Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal, and Ashu Malik. Even PKL 11’s top raider Devank Dalal, with veterans Maninder Singh and Pardeep Narwal, are set to go under the hammer.

The auction allows all teams to build a strong lineup for the new season. Since 2014, eight teams have won the title, showing how fierce the competition has become.

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After three decades, Vidarbha will host the National Junior Kabaddi Championship. The event takes place from May 9 to 12. Wardha district will host the championship for the first time. This marks the region’s first national-level kabaddi event since 1995. Teams from Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and more will join the event.

The Kabaddi Association Vidarbha Sangh (KAVS), with support from the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), is organising the four-day event. Matches will happen at Vidarbha Kesari Ramdasji Tadas Indoor Stadium in Deoli. The finals and closing ceremony will be at the Bhagat Singh Ground in Wardha, on May 12. 

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will hand out the prizes. State Sports Minister Dattatray Bharne will open the event on May 9. Other leaders, including Sanjay Rathod and former Union Minister Raosaheb Danve, will also attend.

KAVS President Ramdas Tadas said they pushed for the event to bring kabaddi pride back to Wardha. Years ago, the district produced skilled athletes for the national team. Now, the goal is to inspire young players again. They expect about 750 players and 350 officials from across India.

Secretary Pradipsingh Thakur said they’re ready to make this event special for players, coaches, and fans.

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The Haryana Steelers, reigning champs of India’s Pro Kabaddi League, kicked off a new initiative called ‘Udaan�to uplift youth and promote gender equality through sport. In a joint effort with Pro Sport Development (PSD) and the Martha Farrell Foundation (MFF), this program aims to help girls and young boys in rural Panipat.

‘Udaan�will engage 160 youth from local schools, 80 girls and 80 boys. Each week, they'll join Kabaddi training, learn life skills, and gain knowledge about health and rights. By joining mixed-gender matches and events, these youth will break norms and challenge gender bias.

Haryana, a powerhouse in sports like kabaddi, wrestling and boxing, still faces gaps in participation, mainly for girls. This initiative seeks to fill that void by ensuring equal access and support for all.

The Steelers will provide gear and help schools with resources to aid this effort. Divyanshu Singh, CEO of Haryana Steelers, said, 'Through this initiative, we are not only encouraging young girls to take up kabaddi but also fostering a broader conversation around gender equality and inclusivity in sports and society, while championing change.'

With this step, the Haryana Steelers hope to spark a shift in their community, pushing for more girls in sports and raising awareness of gender issues.

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The ‘PKL Level Up�workshop held by Mashal Sports aimed to boost kabaddi players on and off the field. The event highlights life skills, brand growth, and teamwork. This workshop is key for the Pro Kabaddi League, showing a strong push for player growth and skill.

Key figures at the workshop included Olympic bronze medallist PR Sreejesh, Alpi Chaudhari from Meta India and others like Neha Mathur, Deepak Pareek, and Dr. Chaitanya Sridhar. They discussed topics like social media use and gave press talks. 

Sreejesh stressed the need to learn from losses, saying, 'The real growth comes from matches we don’t win. That's where we learn what to do differently next time. The ultimate truth in sports is simple: never give up.�/p>

Players Pardeep Narwal, Ashu Malik and Sachin Tanwar participated in skills and brand-building sessions. These talks are not just good for the players; they set a high bar for new talent.

Anupam Goswami, the PKL league commissioner, said that the players shape the future of kabaddi. As they grow, so does the sport. This workshop marks a step forward in how fans see kabaddi and the players who lead it.

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England failed to steal the championship title, as India was triumphant last Sunday, March 23, 2025. India remains the undefeated champions of the Kabaddi World Cup in both men’s and women’s divisions. 

At the match held in Wolverhampton, India destroyed England’s men’s kabaddi team with a score of 44-41. The women’s division was also victorious as they took home a landslide win against their opponents. The score ended in 57-34, in favour of India. 

England team’s vice-captain, Sally Hill, expressed her appreciation for everyone’s support. 

‘I think for Team England women, we're going to keep pushing forward.�she said.

Despite the loss, the vice-captain also voiced her gratitude towards their opponents and stated that the whole event had been a special experience for them.

The recently concluded Kabaddi World Cup was historic as it was the first time the competition was held outside of Asia. Several matches happened in the West Midlands, namely Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, and Wolverhampton, which were the final venues. 

Paddy Power sponsored the World Cup, while the UK Government's Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund provided £500,000. The University of Wolverhampton offered academic sponsorships as well. 

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Scotland's men's team aims for a spot in the Kabaddi World Cup 2025 semi-finals on March 22. The event kicks off in the West Midlands on March 17 and ends on March 23. Scotland’s coach, Sukhinder Dhillon is getting his squad ready for matches against India, Italy, Wales, and Hong Kong China. 

The Kabaddi World Cup 2025 marks the first time the World Cup is held outside Asia. ‘India are the strongest team in the group. They're the reigning world champions and have so many quality players� Dhillon said.

Dhillon also mentioned that Scotland is seen as a long shot with odds of 100-1 to win. He believes that the situation is acceptable, given that many players lack experience on the global stage.

‘We'll give it a go. Our guys have the experience of playing in the British League but this, of course, is another level. Italy and the USA have brought some superstarsâ€? Dhillon added. 

Kabaddi World Cup 2025

The Kabaddi World Cup 2025 features top players from men’s and women’s teams around five continents: Africa, Asia, Oceania, Pan America, and Europe. This event will last for seven days, featuring more than 60 matches held in Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, and Wolverhampton. 

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The 2025 Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship will begin on March 4 in Tehran, Iran after eight years. The event ends on March 9 and has seven teams: India (defending champions), Iran (hosts), Malaysia, Iraq, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Thailand.

India has ruled this competition, winning four of the last five times. The only loss came in 2016 when South Korea took the title. India last won in 2017 in Gorgan, Iran and now aims to keep its winning streak.

Squad and key players

India's team has 12 players, with both experienced and new talent. Sonali Shingate is the captain. She led Indian Railways to win the Senior National Women’s Kabaddi Championship. Pushpa Rana from Himachal Pradesh is the vice-captain. She also plays as an all-rounder.

India has chosen a strong attacking team, including:

Raiders:

• Sonali Shingate (Captain)
• Pooja Kajila
• Pooja Narwal
• Nidhi Sharma
• Amrapali Galande
• Neha Daksh
• Sanju Devi

Defenders:

• Jyoti Thakur (Right corner)
• Sakshi Sharma
• Bhavna Devi
• Ritu

All-rounder:

• Pushpa Rana (Vice-captain)

This tournament is crucial practice for the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup, which will take off later this year in Bihar. Chinese Taipei is not playing, so India’s biggest rival is Iran, the 2022 Asian Games runner-up. 

India has been playing well. They won gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games with a close 26-25 win over Chinese Taipei. That win gave India its 100th medal in the event. Now, they want to keep winning in Tehran and get their fifth title in six tournaments. The tournament runs from March 4 to March 9, with India as the top team.

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The 71st Senior National Men's Kabaddi Championship was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha India. Organised by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), the tournament ran from February 20 to 23, 2025. It features 30 teams from all over the country competing for the title. 

Services aced the championship by beating Railways in a close match that ended 30-30. They won in a tie-breaker, scoring 6-4. Led by star player Naveen Kumar, Services showed great skill and teamwork throughout the tournament, including a big win in the semi-finals.

Tournament highlights

The tournament has already had some massive matches. Teams are now fighting for a place in the knockout stage, where the best teams will play against each other. Here are some of the results:

• Indian Railways vs. Manipur (Day 1) â€?Indian Railways won 59-17.
• Haryana vs. Telangana (Day 2) â€?Haryana won 50-20.
• Services vs. Chhattisgarh (Day 2) â€?Services won 70-33.
• Uttar Pradesh vs. Tamil Nadu (Day 2) â€?Uttar Pradesh won with 45-44.
• Gujarat vs. Andhra Pradesh (Day 2) â€?Andhra Pradesh won 40-39.

Day 4 match highlights

The tournament reached its final stage with intense battles. Services and Railways faced a thrilling final after winning their semi-final matches. Here are the results:

• Services vs. Punjab (Semi-Final 1) â€?Services won 43-35.
• Railways vs. Uttar Pradesh (Semi-Final 2) â€?Railways won 42-34.
• Final: Services vs. Railways (Final) â€?Services won 30-30 (6-4) in a tie-breaker.

Services made a strong comeback to win their first Senior National Men’s Kabaddi Championship title since 2015.

Looking back at last year

In 2024, Haryana won the tournament against Maharashtra in the second semi-final to reach the final. Indian Railways finished second. Services also played well. The matches were exciting, and fans saw excellent performances. This shows that the team has great players and coordination which is enough to be considered as top rivals.

What to expect next year?

As the tournament moves forward, the matches will get harder. The strongest teams will play each other in the knockout round. These teams have top players like Mohammadreza Shadloui, Naveen Kumar, and Shubham Shinde. They will be important for their teams�success. Here are some of the best teams to watch for next year:

• Haryana â€?They won the championship last year and have many strong players. Their experience makes them one of the top teams this year.
• Indian Railways â€?After competing for the final round with the Services they proved that they are a top team contender in Kabaddi. They have been strong in past tournaments and will aim to win again for the next season.
• Services â€?After winning this year and having Kumar as one of their best players in the tournament, their skills and teamwork will continue to make them a powerful team to watch again in 2026.

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